Southern Pacific Water Tower

Southern Pacific Water Tower. Historic Restoration Project. The historic Southern Pacific Water Tower is located directly across the tracks from where you are standing. It looks much as it did when built in 1940 at a cost of $2,130. The Water Tower is located in it original position, across from the City’s “new” Mission-style railroad depot built during World War II. The Water Tower was built to save time during train stops in San Luis Obispo. At that time, up to 10 passenger trains per day stopped in San Luis Obispo, and steam locomotives has to stop twice: once at the roundhouse to take on water and again at the depot to load and unload passengers. The 65,000 gallon steel tank allowed locomotives to take on water while stopped at the depot. The Water Tower was in service until 1956 when Southern Pacific retired the last of the steal locomotive on the coast line., Over the years, weathering and lack of maintenance had taken a toll on the tank, and support structure. In the 1980’s, Southern Pacific Railroad planned to demolish the old structure. The City purchased the Water Tower from the Railroad to ensure its long term preservation. In 1989, the City began a phased restoration to return the historic structure to its original appearance. Restoration work included concrete foundation repairs, asbestos removal, strengthening of the timber tower supports, architectural restoration of the water tank, replacement of the roof, and repair of the “indicator panel” which once showed the water level inside the tank. Restoration was completed in 1998, preserving the water tower for future generations as an historic landmark and tribute to the Age of Steam.